Changing Meanings of Place - Identity in the Global Era: the Case Ofbilkent Shopping Center, Ankara

"Place-identity is one of the key concepts in space/place dichotomy and related debate, which accelerated after global impacts on various localities. There are different standpoints in the debate depending on the place-identity components some of which can be global or local, or both. Harvey (1989) and Giddens (1990) find local components more essential for place-identity formation whereas Massey (1994) analyzes placeidentity as a relative concept defined by the interaction of global and the local. According to Massey, different identities in the same locality have always been together and place-identity itself goes far beyond the local space. Globalization made this voyage more extensive and sometimes even imaginary. Urry (1995) evaluates the tourist experience as a part of the identity processes and claims that everyday life has increasingly turned out to be a tourist experience with the possibilities provided by postmodern spaces designed for "the global citizen" under the global influences. Apparently, the "global spaces" have a varying influence upon Turkish urban citizens with different socio-economic, demographic backgrounds and aspirations. Their exposure to global spaces and the level of experience are also expected to differ. However, one needs to test these differences in the local context."